Hidden Talent
by Jediempress
Summary: Yuffie's new cd is driving everyone crazy.  They'd love to kill the guy singing but no one knows who he is.  Then someone's caught singing in the shower...


This is a request from my soon-to-be cousin-in-law after discussing a General Hospital nurses' ball from a few years ago. Yes, I know we're weird.

Still don't own anyone.

Hidden Talent

"Yuffie! I swear if you don't turn that fucking noise off, I'm gonna go in there and make sure you can never play that damned album again!"

Leon raised an eyebrow. "She still on that damned cd?"

"I swear to fucking Shiva if I ever find out who that guy is, I'll track him down and rip out his vocal cords." Cid ground out, staring at the computer screen with both hands rubbing at his temples.

"Right there behind you."

The music stopped and a minute later Yuffie stomped down the stairs. "Both of you a just jealous that you can't sing!"

"Right." Leon said dryly.

Cid waved his hand around theatrically. "My whole life I've secretly desired to be a pretty boy pop star constantly surrounded by hordes of fangirls. I've completely wasted my life becoming an engineer instead."

"Kumo is a brilliant _artist_!" Yuffie slammed her foot down. "And he's not a pretty boy!"

"You really expect us to believe you only like the guy because of his voice?" Leon crossed his arm, skeptical frown on his features.

"YES! That's what _everyone_ loves about him! And if you must know, I don't even know what he looks like."

"What?" Cid turned his attention back to the girl. "Whaddya mean you don't know what he looks like?"

"That's what's so brilliant about him!" She explained animatedly. "_No one_ knows what he looks like! There's no pictures of him at all!"

Leon's expression twisted. "Seriously?"

She nodded emphatically.

"Well, that's different." Grey eyes flicked toward Cid. "Must be ugly."

Cid snorted.

The young ninja smacked Leon's arm, ignoring the glare he gave her in response. "No one with that beautiful of a voice can be ugly!"

"Who's ugly?" Riku asked, walking in from the back with Cloud.

"No one's ugly!" Yuffie protested.

"He's probably some heavyset guy with big ol' gaps in his teeth and crossed eyes." Cid described. "And a hunchback."

"Oooohh! Shut up!" Yuffie actually jumped. "Kumo is the greatest singer that ever lived and you both are just jealous!"

"Yes, jealous of a guy who doesn't want to be seen." Leon rolled his eyes up.

"Who's Kumo?" Riku glanced about. He paused on Cloud who was looking decidedly pale all the sudden. "Are you all right?"

The blonde blinked. "Yeah, fine."

Riku quirked an eyebrow but turned back to Yuffie and Leon. "So who's Kumo?"

"He's this singer Yuffie is absolutely in love with but has never seen." Leon answered.

"I haven't heard of him. Is he actually any good?" Riku had a thing for music and was willing to give anyone a change if they seemed to have actual talent.

Cid snorted. "If I ever find the guy, I'll kill him."

Leon looked like he wanted to agree but reluctantly sighed. "The annoying thing is he's actually pretty good. However after the eightieth time," He shot a glare in Yuffie's direction. "It gets old."

"Well, if he had more than one album, I wouldn't play this one so much." She stuck out her tongue at him before flouncing off, singing loudly.

Cid pulled out a cigarette. "I'm breaking her cd player."

"Where did the cd come from in the first place?" Riku frowned. "I didn't know there was anything like that here."

"There isn't. That traveling merchant last week sold it to her."

"The creepy guy with all the weapons hanging in his coat? I swear I thought he was flashing his customers."

"He had some nice stuff." Leon commented. He looked to Cloud for agreement because he knew the blonde had bought several items from the man but Cloud seemed to have completely zoned out. "Cloud."

"What?" He turned toward him in a jerky motion.

"What's wrong with you?" Riku searched his face in concern.

"Nothing. I need to go check on something." He suddenly walked out the front door.

The three left in the room stared after him.

"What do you think that's about?" Leon folded his arms.

"No idea." Riku shook his head. "He was fine before we got here."

Cid snorted. "Spiky's just being weird again."

--0—0—

Riku had ended up sitting on the back porch with Yuffie that night. She had been sent out to listen to her cd where it could not irritate Leon. Riku had come out to draw, feeling more at peace in the twilight than under the artificial light inside.

He had to admit, the guy singing was rather good and the songs, while catchy, were not overly obnoxious. He could see how hearing them repeatedly would get old fast but Leon and Cid were overreacting just a bit about it.

When it finally grew too dark to adequately see he went back in, lightly humming one of the tracks that he had taken a particular liking to. Leon had narrowed his eyes at him as he passed him. Riku fell silent with a vaguely apologetic smile and went upstairs.

He frowned at the top step. He swore he could hear Yuffie's cd but there was no music, only the singing. Taking another step, he realized it came from the shower.

Oh, hell no…

He poked his head in the bedroom but Cloud was not there. Riku turned to face the bathroom door. He took a quiet step toward it and pressed his ear to the wood.

"Hey, Riku I was-"

The teen cut Yuffie off with a motion. The water was off now but the light singing continued. Yuffie's eyes widened.

"It… it can't be." She stuttered.

"Oh, he is so not going to hear the end of this." Riku bit his lip.

The door opened and Cloud paused in the frame. His panicked eyes flicked between the two. Riku had a second to jump back before Yuffie squealed and attacked the blonde.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" She threw her arms around his neck.

Leon appeared on the stairs. "What the hell is she going off on now?"

Riku smirked at Cloud. "Didn't know I was dating someone famous."

"What?"

"I'm not famous." Cloud not-so-carefully detached the girl from his neck. "I needed money."

Leon narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Yuffie was bouncing in place. "Cloud's Kumo!"

The blonde pressed his fingers to his forehead, sighing in defeat.

The sable-haired man placed his glare on Cloud. "Care to explain this one, Strife?"

"Look, back when I was separated from all of you and I was just wandering around with these giant holes in my memory I did a lot of things to get by. On one of the worlds, this guy over heard me, humming, some random tune. He asked me to come to his studio and sing for him. Next thing I knew I was signing a contract and recording an album." Cloud explained in a rush.

Leon stared at him so intently Cloud began squirming under it. Yuffie was barely containing her excitement. Riku looked highly amused by all of this.

"Oh!" Yuffie tugged on Cloud's arm. "You should do a concert! That would be so awesome!"

"No." Cloud replied flatly. "I didn't want anyone to know. Why do you think there are no pictures of _Kumo_?"

"Aw but Cloud-"

"No."

Riku pressed up against him. "I'd like to see you sing. Music's a really big turn on."

"Riku,"

Abruptly, Leon burst out laughing. The scarred man literally had tears forming in his eyes. He turned on his heel and headed down the stairs. "Wait until Cid hears this. He's going to kill you."

Cloud dashed after him, grabbing his arm and pleading for his friend to wait.

Leon did not slow at all. As he opened the door, he called over his shoulder, "Say good-bye to your boyfriend, Riku."


End file.
